Plow review: Almost too good to still be quaint

The Fried Egg sandwich at Plow Restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, January 24th, 2012.

The Fried Egg sandwich at Plow Restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., is seen on Wednesday, January 24th, 2012.

Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle

Plow review: Almost too good to still be quaint

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There's an ethereal quality to dining at Plow, where endless light streams in from the many windows and bounces off every tabletop and coffee mug. It's bright and airy, cozy and cheery, and just the kind of setting you'd want for a leisurely breakfast or brunch.

The inviting ambience is the work of owners Joel Bleskacek and Maxine Siu, the husband-and-wife team that also owns Ruby Wine down the street. The couple met at Oakland's Oliveto some 17 years ago, and have since made Potrero Hill their home base.

In Plow, they've crafted a neighborhood restaurant with food as quietly elegant as the decor. Plow doesn't reinvent classics as much as deliver stellar versions of them. Consistently, too.

Eggs are the star; over the course of three visits, I failed to encounter an egg that wasn't perfectly cooked. Fried, poached, soft scrambled, over easy, Plow was spot-on every time.

Favorites include the fried egg sandwich ($10.75) with frisee and Vermont cheddar on a soft Acme bun. A few bites in, and you'll have golden yolks oozing out the side. Add the Nueske bacon for a crisp, smoky hit.

Speaking of crisp, Plow's signature potatoes have developed a cult following, and for good reason. They're crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and generously accented with rosemary. The irregular shapes only add to the charm.

The best way to sample Plow's menu is by ordering its namesake dish. The Plow ($14.50) comes with two eggs, your choice of meat, two small lemon ricotta pancakes and those potatoes.

Can't decide between the Nueske bacon, house-made chicken apple sausage or house-made pork sausage? No problem. Many items are available a la carte, so you can order a single pancake or a side of meat - go with the chicken apple sausage - to round out your meal.

For all of Plow's wizardry with eggs, the dish I found most charming was perhaps the easiest to overlook. Plow's house-made yogurt and granola with market fruit ($8.75) is outstanding; the yogurt neither too stiff nor too runny, and full of milk flavor; the granola rivals La Boulange's version. And fruit? Oh yes, with Asian pears and winter citrus.

Plow offers its entire menu all day, so you can start your morning with a fried chicken sandwich and end the afternoon with a millet muffin, if you're so inclined.

Pancake options are aplenty, and of the three I've tried, including the popular lemon ricotta, my favorite, the almond flour pancakes, were a nice surprise. They're also gluten-free.

The few quibbles are minor. I adore goat cheese, but there was just too much of it in Plow's soft scrambled eggs ($12.50). The Chinese Breakfast ($14) - two pieces of caramelized pork shoulder and two fried eggs over jasmine rice - and the chicken tinga ($15), a sort of California tostada, were technically sound but lacked the wow factor of other dishes.

In fact, the biggest drawback to Plow is getting seated. It's popular and doesn't accept reservations. So at peak times, prepare to wait. And wait. And wait.

Weekend brunch lines are notoriously long, but going early in the morning or later in the afternoon will trim the wait down significantly. Show up on a weekday morning, and you might breeze through.

Once you're in, you're set. Tables are tight - some close enough to be communal - but no one seems to mind. Servers are attentive and polite, and do their best to handle what's almost always full capacity. More often than not, your coffee will be refilled before the need to track someone down.

A solid time after ordering, your eggs will arrive, adding to the splashes of yellow - lemons draped over a vase, a landscape of daisies that adorns the east wall - that brighten the space. Given its popularity, it's admirable that Plow still feels quaint.

Prices are based on main courses. When entrees fall between these categories, the prices of appetizers help determine the dollar ratings. Chronicle critics make every attempt to remain anonymous. All meals are paid for by The Chronicle. Star ratings are based on a minimum of three visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit.